Israel and Hamas reach ceasefire deal, hostages to be freed

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated on Wednesday evening that the final details of the ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages are still being completed in Doha. It is anticipated that the agreement will be effective on January 19, with the first Israeli hostages being freed on the same day.

According to the statement, Netanyahu's official announcement regarding the agreement will only be issued "after the final details, which are still being worked on, have been fully developed."

Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani confirmed the statement from Netanyahu's office on Wednesday evening. Once finalized, the agreement details will be published in the coming days," he said.

He explained that a "monitoring mechanism" comprising representatives from the US, Qatar, and Egypt will be established, headquartered in Cairo, to oversee the implementation of the agreement. "We hope the mechanism will be ready by Sunday, when the ceasefire will commence," al-Thani mentioned at a press conference.

Earlier on Wednesday, mediators reported that the government of Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement in Qatar regarding a ceasefire following 15 months of conflict in the Gaza Strip. The arrangement entails the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas and hundreds of Palestinians detained in Israel.

Officials from Qatar, which acted as a mediator during the talks, and Hamas confirmed the agreement.

According to the Times of Israel, the complex agreement outlines a six-week initial phase of the ceasefire and includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, as well as the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

A UN report stated that the Gaza Strip, after Israeli airstrikes, was reduced to 46 million metric tonnes of rubble. As Bloomberg graphically described, this is enough to form a line of dump trucks stretching from New York to Singapore. Removing it all could take years and cost up to $700 million, the agency reports.

Once the agreement is implemented, Hamas will gradually release 33 Israeli hostages over the first 42 days of the ceasefire. The first three hostages are to be released on the initial day of the truce, followed by four more on the seventh day. Subsequently, three hostages will be freed every seven days, with the last 14 released in the final week of the initial phase.

The remaining 65 hostages will only be released if the parties agree on a second phase of the truce. Negotiations on this matter will commence about two weeks after the fighting ceases.

The Israeli Prime Minister's office emphasized that there are "many clauses" in the agreement that are not yet finalized, and that Israel hopes "details will be finalized tonight."

Israel's Channel 12 reported that talks will continue throughout the night to settle the last issues so that the agreement can be signed on Thursday.

According to Israeli media reports, Israel's security cabinet is to meet at 11 AM Eastern Time on Thursday to officially approve the agreement. Afterwards, lists of Palestinian prisoners to be released will be published.

According to unofficial reports from Channel 12, the list of 33 hostages to be released in the first phase includes four civilian women, five female soldiers, as well as Shiri Bibas and her two young sons Ariel and infant Kfir, 10 men aged 50 and older, and 11 disabled men.

As reported by Channel 12, Hamas claims that not all among this group are alive. Although this has not been officially confirmed yet, such confirmation is anticipated within the first week of the agreement's implementation. Meanwhile, Israel believes that the majority of the 33 people on the list are alive.

In exchange for the release of 33 hostages, Israel is to release over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including at least 250 terrorists "with blood on their hands." Some were captured in the Gaza Strip after October 7, 2023. According to the Israeli side, no one involved in the invasion will be released.

According to the Times of Israel, it is believed in Israel that 94 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023, are still in the Gaza Strip, including the bodies of at least 34 individuals whose deaths have been confirmed by the Israel Defense Forces.

Hamas released 105 civilians during a week-long ceasefire at the end of November 2023, and four hostages were freed earlier. Eight hostages were rescued alive by the military, and the bodies of 40 hostages were recovered, including three who were mistakenly killed by the military while attempting to escape their captors.

Hamas also holds two Israeli civilians who entered the Gaza Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two Israeli Defense Forces soldiers who died in 2014.